Ellen



(No Model.)

W. E. OOSGROVE. FUEL FEEDER AND SEPARATOR.

No. 445,390. Patented Jan. 27, 18-91.

INVENTORI arm A. W WITNESSES I 3%. .Alttorney.

' 1- iINiTED STATES PATENT .ErieE.v

\VILLIAM FRANCIS COSGROVE, OF JERSEY CITY, NElV JERSEYj ELLEN COSGROVE ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAID IVIIJIIIAM FRANCIS COSGROVE,

DECEASED.

FUEL FEEDER AND SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 4=45,390, dated January 2'7, 1891.

Application filed April 30, 1890. Serial No. 349,993. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FRANCIS Cos- QROVE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Fuel Feeders and Separators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of devices employed for separating fuel in the form of dust, shavings, and the like from a current of air by which it is carried, and for feeding the same, either wholly or partially, to a furnace, the remainder of said fuel, where such exists,being deposited in a storage or fuel tower or reservoir, whenceit may be taken as required for use; and the object of my invention is in part to improve and simplify the construction of such separators and feeders, in part to provide improved means for regulating the feeding of the fuel to the furnace, and in part to provide a device wherein, when feeding the fuel to the furnace, such fuel is fed under the influence of the forced blast of air from a fan or blower, and when feedinginto a storage or fuel tower such forced blast is dispensed with, the fuel being deposited in the storage-tower by gravity only, whereby compactness of packing is insured.

I will now describe my invention more particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrative thereof, wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical mid-section illustratin g a furnacc-feeder and f eel-separator con structed according to myinvention, the plane of the section being indicated by the line]. 1 in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a general view on a scale smaller than that of the foregoing figures, illustrating the application of my invention as a furnace-feeder and fuelseparator in connection with a steam-gener ator furnace and a fuel-storage tower.

In the drawings A represents as a whole, the shell of the separator,which will be formed, preferably, of sheetiron or steel. This shell comprises a cylindrical upper portion a, into which 1ead,respectively, tubes B and G, the

former being the inlet-tube for the forced blast from the fan or blower and the latter the tube for the outgoing fuel-laden blast to the furnace, and a lower funnel or hopperlike portion c, the diameter of which decreases toward the bottom, where there is arranged the outlet-tubeD to the fuel-tower.

E is the centrally-arranged outlet for the escape of the air from which the fuel has been separated, which is in the form of a tube, the lower end of which is about on a level with the lower line of the mouths of tubes B and C, and which may extend above the top or roof plate of the separator to any desired distance.

The tubes B and C, which may be of any diameter, merge into the upper cylindrical portion of shell A, into which they open at points distant about a quarter of the circumference of said portion, as shown. This distance is, however, of no material import, and in practice the tubes may be set at varying points about the circumference. I prefer to arrange the tubes so that the blast may be directed into or out of the shell A at a tangent to its circumference, and also to form the mouth of tube C somewhat smaller than that of tube 13 and arrange it at a lower level, so that it may receive more of the fuel and less of the blast which carries the same.

lVithin the upper portion a of shell A is arranged a deflector or baffle-plate F, also of sheet metal by preference, which has a flange or bottom f, and is riveted to the top and side of said upper portion a. or secured thereto in any desired manner, forming a passage 1, concentric with the wall of the shell A. This passage f is formed, preferably, slightly wider at its mouth or part nearest the mouth of tube B and tapers toward the ,mouth of tube C in order to concentrate the forced blast as it passes along said passage.

In the wall of shell A, at or near that part of the mouth of tube C which is farthest from tube B, is arranged a damper or valve 0 ona rod 0, 5

In Fig. 1 I have shown a means for securing this valve in position when" set, while allowing it to bc readily shifted in. order to vary the supply of fuel to the tube (i. This conslsts ina star-wheel e ou'the upper end of the valve-rod 0 outside the casing, the teeth or spurs of which are engaged by a spring c. This valve 0 is arranged in position in the mouth of the tube 0 to regulate or cut off entirely the blast from said tube, and its free end is directed against the blast from tube B, so that by turning the valve more or less far into the passage f the passage of the fuel laden air into and through the tube (1 may be regulated proportionately.

Across the tube 0, just beyond the mouth thereof, I have arranged a second damper or valve (Z, operated from a single cord (1, which passes over a pulley (Z on the outside of the tube, as clearly shown. The object of this second damper is to cut off more or less of the air bearing the fuel from the furnace, as otherwise such fuel would be projected into the furnace too far back to accomplish the best results. Of course where very heavy fuel is beingburned this valve may be opened to its full extent; but where shavings and such light fuel are to be fed I prefer to open this damper to a very slight extent only, thereby cutting off the greater part of the air-blast from thefurnace. The damper dis arranged in such a manner that it may be brought up to close the tube by drawing on the cord (Z, while the forced blast will keep the passage open to the proper degree.

The operation of the device is as follows, premising that it is being used as a fuel-separator only: The fuel in the form of shavings, sawdust, or coal-dust is fed into the hopper X, the lower mouth of which opens into a closed passage through which a current of air from a fan or blowerZ is forced. By this means the fuel will be taken up by the forced blast and carried along the passage or tube B into the upper cylindrical portion of shell A, entering the passage f and passing along the same. The valve 0 being closed, no entrance can be effected to tube 0, and the blast passes out from the passage f into the interior of the shell A, being deflected downward and outward by reason of the contracted cross-section of the passage and the inclined inner surface of the hopper a, and by reason of the high rotary velocity of the current the particles of fuel will be separated from the air-current, and from their greater weight form a stratum next the wall of the shell, which stratum will gradually fall or slide down over the inclined face of the hopper and find an outlet at the bottom through the tube D into the storage-towerbelow, while the air from which the fuel has been separated will find ready exit through the exhaust-tube E above.

\Vhere the device is to be used for feeding fuel to a furnace it is only necessary to swing the valve 0 outward into the passage f to the proper degree by means of the cords attached to the rod cto open the damper (Z to the proper degree to cut off the surplusage of air from tube C, when more or less of the fuel-laden blast, according to the movementof the dam pers, will be directed into and through the tube C to the furnace. The feed of the fuel may be regulated by means of the cords and dampthe combination,with a separator cylinder or,

shell, of the tangentially-arranged inlet-tube for the blast, the outlet-tube to the furnace, also arranged tangentially to the shell and on substantially the same level as the inlet-tube, and means,substantially as described, within the shell for directing the whole or a part of the f uel-laden blast into and through the said outlettubc to the furnace, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a furnace-feeder and fuel-separator, the combination, with the separator cylinder or shell, of the tangentially-arranged inlettube for the blast, the outlet-tube to the furnace, also arranged tangentially to the shell and on substantially the same level as the inlet-tube, means, substantially as described, within the shell for directing the whole or a part of the fuel-laden blast into and through the outlet-tube to the furnace, and means, substantially as described, for varying the proportions of air and fuel passing through said outlet-tube, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a furnaoefeeder and fuel-separator, the combination, with the separator cylinder or shell A, of the inlet-tube B for the forced blast, the outlet-tube 0, leading to the fur nace, and the passage f, formed within said shell A and concentric with the Wall of same, said passage extending between the mouths of tubes B and (l, as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a furnace-feeder, the combination, with the separator-shell A, of the inlet-tube B for the forced blast, the outlet-tube 0, leading to the furnace, the passage f, formed within the shell A, and extending between the mouths of tubes B and C, and thevalve 0, arranged within the shell and adapted to close the mouth of tube 0, whereby the whole or a part of the forced blast may be directed into and through said tube 0 to the furnace, as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a furnace-feeder, the combination, with the separator-shell A, of the inlet-tube B for the forced blast, the outlet-tube 0, leading to the furnace, the passage f, formed within the shell A and extending between the mouths of tubes B and O, the valve 0, arranged within the shell and adapted to close the mouth of tube 0, whereby the whole or a part of .the forced blast may be directed into and through said tube to the furnace, and the damper d, arranged across the tube 0, whereby the proportions of fuel and air passing through the tube 0 may be varied, all arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

6. In a furnace-feeder and fuel-separator, the combination, with the separator shell comprising an upper cylindrical portion a and a lower hopper-like portion a, of the inlet-tube B for the blast and the outlet-tube C to the furnace, both arranged tangentially to the cylindrical part a of the shell and on substantially the same level, the pipe D, leading from the bottom of the hopper-like portion of the shell to the fuel-storage tower, the exhaust-outlet E for the blast, and means, substantially as described, for regulating the feed of fuel to the furnace, substantially as set forth.

7. In a furnace-feeder and fuel-separator, the combination, with the separator cylinder or shell comprising the upper cylindrical portion a and the lower hopper-like portion a, of the inlet-tube B for the forced blast, the outlet-tubes C and D, leading, respectively, to the furnace and to the fuel-storage tower,

the exhaust-tube E for the forced blast, the passage f, formed in shell A and concentric with the wall of same, said passage extending between the mouths of tubes B and C and tapering toward its end, and means, substantially as described, for regulating the feed of fuel to the furnace, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In a furnace-feeder and fuelseparator, the combination, with the separator-shell, of the inlet-tube B for the forced blast, the outlet-tubes O and D, leading, respectively, to the furnace and to the f uel-storage tower, the exhaust-outlet tube E for the forced blast, extending down into the interior of the shell, and means, substantially as described, for regulating the feed of fuel to the furnace, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM FRANCIS COSGROVE.

Witnesses:

HENRY CONNETT, J. D. CAPLINGER. 

